Marriage is tough, no doubt about it. It’s not just about you anymore — it’s about you and your life together. You both need to have the same goals in mind, otherwise, you’ll quickly lose this game. A strong relationship shares many things in common, but one of the most essential is maintaining a connection with each other. Here are some ways to boost your connection and make a relationship stronger.
Play Together
Couples
who play together have higher relationship satisfaction and closeness than
couples who don’t. Playing is a great way to relieve stress, be creative
together, and show each other how much you care.
Know Your Love Language
If
your significant other’s primary love language is Words of Affirmation and
yours is Acts of Service, for example, then bringing your partner words of
affirmation through thoughtful statements can help to keep their feelings of
connection strong.
You Are Not In The Game
Alone
Sometimes,
partners find themselves locked in a never-ending cycle of power and control.
This is never good for the relationship. It’s important to remember that you
are on the same team. Life will always bring conflict and when it does, it can
be easy to slip into an adversarial mindset. But remember: every time you play
the game unfairly with another person, you become like your opponent. What
needs to happen is that the focus has to be on the specific circumstances at
hand and not personal attacks. Being truthful with your partner can be hard,
but try to keep the focus on the criticisms so that they don’t get personal.
It’s easy to get swept up in bigger life events such as anniversaries or the
birth of a new child, but most relationships are developed in the moments in
between. Make an effort in these smaller times by remembering to pick up your
partner’s favourite snack on the way home or sending a sweet text mid-day just
to let them know you are thinking about them.
Practice Preventive
Maintenance
It’s
important to practice preventative maintenance with your marriage. Make sure
that no problems are brewing in the background by touching base often with your
spouse. Attending couples therapy or marriage retreats is also an excellent way
to keep your relationship strong and healthy. You don’t have to wait until
things come undone to start paying attention to the connection you have with
your partner. Marriage is a shifting ride, but as long as you and yours put in
the work of staying connected, you’ll be able to weather almost any change.